WAD gets the baby blues

THE Women’s Action Development (WAD) has told unmarried female employees not to get pregnant because there is no money to employ additional staff during the three months of their maternity leave.

Such employees will also not qualify for bonuses, a circular signed by WAD’s Executive Director Veronica De Klerk states. The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) distributed the circular to the media yesterday.They said they were “utterly disturbed” by the argument by an organisation “that purports to represent women”.”This, we believe, is sheer hypocrisy.Bad policy,” NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda said.De Klerk confirmed the existence of such a memo but said it was never put in practice.”This thing was discussed at a planning and training workshop with our employees.The circular stems from that but it was never, ever enforced.Not one girl was negatively affected.Nobody is marginalised because of that.It is not even a policy because it did not go through the board,” responded De Klerk.She said staff members who have babies out of wedlock also receive bonuses.However, the WAD chief said they advised female employees not to get pregnant out of wedlock because it becomes a financial burden on the organisation.”The route we must take to save others is not to get pregnant.We are not threatening the employees.They decided that it is about survival of the organisation and about saving funds,” De Klerk said.In the memo, De Klerk stated that WAD “will not pay bonuses to staff members who have babies out of wedlock”.She said WAD trainers and coordinators were expected to train young people to curb teenage pregnancies and must refrain from “embarrassing” the organisation by doing the same.”If we have continuous pregnancies out of wedlock, the organisation is burdened with additional maternity leave expenses which were not budgeted for.For every employee who takes maternity leave, a person should be appointed in her place for three months, which causes additional expenses for the organisation,” De Klerk wrote.She urged unmarried staff members to use the “anti-baby medication” available free of charge at clinics and hospitals “in order to save on all the costs of having babies.””Why should women raise half-orphans if they can get married?” she asked when approached by The Namibian.In the memo De Klerk said any staff member who fell pregnant after May 1 2005 and delivered during February 2006, “will unfortunately not receive bonuses”.She argued that bonuses were a privilege and were not required by the labour law.The NUNW demanded that WAD withdraw the memorandum and pay back any employee who was negatively affected by the decision.The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) distributed the circular to the media yesterday. They said they were “utterly disturbed” by the argument by an organisation “that purports to represent women”.”This, we believe, is sheer hypocrisy.Bad policy,” NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda said.De Klerk confirmed the existence of such a memo but said it was never put in practice.”This thing was discussed at a planning and training workshop with our employees.The circular stems from that but it was never, ever enforced.Not one girl was negatively affected.Nobody is marginalised because of that.It is not even a policy because it did not go through the board,” responded De Klerk.She said staff members who have babies out of wedlock also receive bonuses.However, the WAD chief said they advised female employees not to get pregnant out of wedlock because it becomes a financial burden on the organisation.”The route we must take to save others is not to get pregnant.We are not threatening the employees.They decided that it is about survival of the organisation and about saving funds,” De Klerk said.In the memo, De Klerk stated that WAD “will not pay bonuses to staff members who have babies out of wedlock”.She said WAD trainers and coordinators were expected to train young people to curb teenage pregnancies and must refrain from “embarrassing” the organisation by doing the same.”If we have continuous pregnancies out of wedlock, the organisation is burdened with additional maternity leave expenses which were not budgeted for.For every employee who takes maternity leave, a person should be appointed in her place for three months, which causes additional expenses for the organisation,” De Klerk wrote.She urged unmarried staff members to use the “anti-baby medication” available free of charge at clinics and hospitals “in order to save on all the costs of having babies.””Why should women raise half-orphans if they can get married?” she asked when approached by The Namibian.In the memo De Klerk said any staff member who fell pregnant after May 1 2005 and delivered during February 2006, “will unfortunately not receive bonuses”.She argued that bonuses were a privilege and were not required by the labour law.The NUNW demanded that WAD withdraw the memorandum and pay back any employee who was negatively affected by the decision.